Holy Rosary Catholic School is dedicated to the faith formation of our children. Read below to explore the activities we do to help our students reach their God-given potential.
Prayer
First graders leading the Rosary
At Holy Rosary prayer is a natural part of our day and is integrated into the daily activities of our school. For example, each morning we enter the school while singing a hymn, we give thanks to God before meals, and we have a daily
religion lesson as part of classroom instruction. K-6 grade students attend Mass once a week and pray the Rosary (or Stations of the Cross during Lent) once a month. Grade levels take turns leading these two activities, giving students the opportunity to practice their public speaking skills.
Vocation Box
Every person on Earth has a vocation from God—be it to the consecrated religious life, to marriage, or to remain single. Within the state of life to which God calls us, He also calls us to glorify Him through a particular career based on our unique gifts.
With this in mind, each week one family from the school volunteers to take home our vocation box to foster family discussion and prayer for vocations. The box contains Bible readings, prayers, question prompts, biographies of those in religious formation from our diocese, and other items to help facilitate this discussion, as well as complete instructions. The sign-up sheet is posted at the front desk of the school if you would like to volunteer to take the box home and pray as a family for one week.
Altar Serving
All 4-6th grade students who have received their First Holy Communion are encouraged to help glorify God by sharing their time and talent through altar serving at Wednesday and Thursday morning Masses during the school year and on weekends with their families. Students are trained during school hours and parents are encouraged to support their children in succeeding as altar servers by reviewing the altar server procedures with their child before they are scheduled to serve.
religion lesson as part of classroom instruction. K-6 grade students attend Mass once a week and pray the Rosary (or Stations of the Cross during Lent) once a month. Grade levels take turns leading these two activities, giving students the opportunity to practice their public speaking skills.
Vocation Box
Every person on Earth has a vocation from God—be it to the consecrated religious life, to marriage, or to remain single. Within the state of life to which God calls us, He also calls us to glorify Him through a particular career based on our unique gifts.
With this in mind, each week one family from the school volunteers to take home our vocation box to foster family discussion and prayer for vocations. The box contains Bible readings, prayers, question prompts, biographies of those in religious formation from our diocese, and other items to help facilitate this discussion, as well as complete instructions. The sign-up sheet is posted at the front desk of the school if you would like to volunteer to take the box home and pray as a family for one week.
Altar Serving
All 4-6th grade students who have received their First Holy Communion are encouraged to help glorify God by sharing their time and talent through altar serving at Wednesday and Thursday morning Masses during the school year and on weekends with their families. Students are trained during school hours and parents are encouraged to support their children in succeeding as altar servers by reviewing the altar server procedures with their child before they are scheduled to serve.
Service - Corporal Works of Mercy Projects
Second grade coat drive to, "clothe the naked."
At Holy Rosary, we strive to develop well-rounded students that will contribute to the strength and intelligence of our community both before they graduate and after. For example, in addition to being given challenging curriculum, each month one grade level takes a turn leading a school-wide service project based on the 7 corporal works of mercy: feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the sick, visit the imprisoned, and bury the dead.
“The works of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor.”
– Catechism of the Catholic Church #2247
“The works of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor.”
– Catechism of the Catholic Church #2247
Family Groups
Several times a month we divide our K-6 students into family groups comprised of students from each grade.
The groups complete various faith-based activities together while building community across grade levels and
inviting the older students to become leaders by helping the younger ones.
The groups complete various faith-based activities together while building community across grade levels and
inviting the older students to become leaders by helping the younger ones.
Retreats and Special Activities
The fifth grade presents the Stations of the Cross
We begin each Advent and Lent with a school-wide retreat to reflect on the purpose of the season. Each year the second grade class performs an Advent skit and the fifth graders perform a live Stations of the Cross. We celebrate major liturgical feast days throughout the year and hold special formation events periodically. Some of our favorite past activities have included participating in a hunger banquet to raise awareness for global food insecurity and walking through a mini-Jerusalem exhibit to better understand Jesus’ final days (Holy Week).
Holy Readers
We encourage our students to further their faith formation on their own by participating in our Holy Readers Program. Each time a student reads a faith-based book—a Bible story, a lesson on morality, a biography of a saint, etc.—either at school or at home we encourage them to complete and turn in an age-appropriate Holy Reader report form. Each completed report earns the student a quarter that they can donate to one of two charities--Eastern Idaho Down Syndrome Family Connect or Idaho Falls Area Humanitarian Center—that our school is promoting to encourage our students to grow in moral character by helping others. Students who have completed 10 or more reports are featured on our Holy Readers Wall of Fame.
You may print blank report forms by following the links below. You may assist students unable to read or
write on their own.
You may print blank report forms by following the links below. You may assist students unable to read or
write on their own.
Additional Resources
Free faith formation activities and games:
http://www.ewtn.com/ewtnkids/index.asp
https://www.holyheroes.com/Learn-the-Catholic-Faith-s/146.htm
Adult faith formation resources:
https://www.loyolapress.com/
http://heidi-gram.blogspot.com/
https://formed.org/ (Contact the parish office, 208.522.4366, to get the log-in code.)
Click the link to the current parish bulletin on the St. John Paul II site: http://www.ifcatholics.net/
All Saints’ Day costume ideas:
http://www.catholicicing.com/all-saints-day-costume-ideas-for-girls/
http://www.catholicicing.com/all-saints-day-costume-ideas-for-boys/
Resources for Research on saints
https://www.catholic.org/saints/fun_facts_arch.php
https://www.loyolapress.com/our-catholic-faith/saints/saints-stories-for-all-ages
http://www.ewtn.com/ewtnkids/index.asp
https://www.holyheroes.com/Learn-the-Catholic-Faith-s/146.htm
Adult faith formation resources:
https://www.loyolapress.com/
http://heidi-gram.blogspot.com/
https://formed.org/ (Contact the parish office, 208.522.4366, to get the log-in code.)
Click the link to the current parish bulletin on the St. John Paul II site: http://www.ifcatholics.net/
All Saints’ Day costume ideas:
http://www.catholicicing.com/all-saints-day-costume-ideas-for-girls/
http://www.catholicicing.com/all-saints-day-costume-ideas-for-boys/
Resources for Research on saints
https://www.catholic.org/saints/fun_facts_arch.php
https://www.loyolapress.com/our-catholic-faith/saints/saints-stories-for-all-ages